Side Effects

For the last few years, every time a Steven Soderbergh movie comes out, I’m left with this strange uneasy feeling after watching it. Sometimes that seems appropriate like with Contagion or his latest Side Effects. But what about with Magic Mike? Maybe all those tear away pants just irk me. Soderbergh is just a unique filmmaker whose style seems to conflict with my critic’s eye. Side Effects stars Rooney Mara as a young woman forced to deal with heavy consequences after the side effects from a drug she is taking get her in legal trouble.

I don’t think Rooney Mara was always pegged as these slightly troubled weird characters, but after The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo I think that’s going to be her M.O. In this instance the character has subtle layers that develop throughout the film and culminate in an unexpected ending. Jude Law also stars as Mara’s doctor. He’s both likeable and a bit shady. In fact all of the psychiatrists in the film are shady. It’s a pretty consistent theme throughout. But Law’s elevated performance is possibly the most positive aspect of a fairly muddy film that slogs along in a mostly uninteresting way. Supporting performances from Channing Tatum and Catherine Zeta Jones are middle of the road at best.

The final act of Side Effects is exciting with the drama one would want for the entire film. But that isn’t the case. Visuals are presented in a way that channels classic thrillers like Hitchcock’s work. But the fact that the mystery isn’t even established until after the audience loses interest in the individual characters, takes away from any kind of comparison to the classic filmmaker. Side Effects is a well-intentioned story that has a lot of positive elements competing with those that prove to be tedious. Soderbergh strikes again.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.